“Charity Metal Detecting Rallies”: A racket exposed

Detecting forum UKDN recently made a new rule forbidding reference to “sales of coins or artefacts on EBay”. They deny it’s to keep it from the public that many of them are engaged in selling finds but it’s hard to see how telling people to keep quiet about something isn’t keeping something quiet. Anyhow, their denials have just become even less credible. They’ve posted an advert for a detecting rally at Little Maplestead, Essex with an extraordinary “license agreement” that the landowners have already signed and crucially it says: “Only items subject to the Treasure Act 1996 are to be divided 50/50 with the respective landowners.” Trouble is, those items all belong to the State so can’t possibly be subject to a private agreement to share them, as detectorists all know. The sole effect is to make the landowner think the detectorists are offering him something. They aren’t!

Worse, since it specifies “only” Treasure items will be shared it means non Treasure items don’t have to be. Yet non Treasure items are often far more valuable than Treasure items and anyway comprise 99.9% of anything that’s likely to be found! Let me put it in stark terms: almost every item found, be it worth ten pounds or ten thousand, has been signed over in full to the detectorists and if another Crosby Garrett Helmet is found the landowner will get nothing and the detectorist will get £2.3 million! Did anyone explain? Would the landowners have signed if they’d understood? And there’s more. The £14 entry fees (but not the finds, nota bene) go to Maplestead Round Church restoration (as they should!) so it is presented as an entirely beneficial “charity” event – to such an extent that the Friends of the Little Maplestead Round Church are running a food and drink stall to supply those that are busy relieving the locals, the church funds and the landowner of 100% of what is found!

So there we are. Doubtless the locals have heard the universal detectorists’ mantra “we’re only interested in history” and assume the attendees are all charitably minded heritage heroes for whom the selling of finds is anathema (and visiting detecting websites like UKDN won’t have taught them otherwise!) And even if they did have fleeting doubts, PAS will be there, giving every impression the whole process is archaeologically sound, officially sanctioned and not at all an oikish, unnecessary, damaging and acquisitive racket.

Finally, if you still don’t think there’s a problem that officialdom ought to warn the public about, consider this simple truth: if communities are dead set on allowing the digging up of their local archaeological record to raise charity money (and they shouldn’t be – let them ask PAS or any archaeologist in private what they think) they’d be vastly better off hiring a few detecting machines for their local amateur archaeology society to do it (although their ethics would hopefully preclude it). That way, 100% of any government Treasure rewards could go to the charity, 100% of all the other finds could go to the charity and 100% of the finds would be willingly and accurately reported to PAS (making the exercise less damaging than any metal detecting rally in history!) Let’s hope it never happens*** but tell me Dear Reader, if avoidable archaeological damage had to take place would you rather it was on the basis that £2.3 million might go to a church restoration fund or to self-proclaimed history lovers every one of whom had signed a contract ensuring every single last penny went to themselves and not the landowner or charity?

________________________________________________________________________________________*** P S:
This might be the first time anyone has mentioned DYCAAS (Do-it-Yourself Community Archaeological Artefact Stripping) so I should clarify I’m against it. But it illustrates two truths:

First, it shows up the illogicality of British official policy. Big Society or not, The Establishment would never get involved in a stunt by a local community to dig up artefacts to raise money for charity. They’d see it as crass and uncivilised. Yet that’s what they do in the case of charity detecting rallies which produce less benefit to charity and cause more damage to the archaeological record.

Second, it confronts detectorists with their own dogma. They endlessly opine that the way to combat nighthawking is to invite them to strip sites that might otherwise be nighthawked. DYCAAS is the product of identical thinking. Amateur archaeologists would be invited to strip sites that might otherwise be subjected to charity metal detecting rallies since that would deliver, beyond scope for serious denial, more benefits for charity and less harm to the archaeological record. A group that proclaims its primary concerns are to serve the public interest, raise money for charity and preserve history could hardly object to that.

15 comments

I metal detect because its the closeist way i can get invovled with Archaeology. I love history and being with people with the same thoughts and interests. Have you ever thought that your thoughts and actions prevent people with the same interest interacting in Archaeology. Or your views are with good intentions but with no answers to a problem. And maybe you judge others without helping them, Or even realise that the clubs who hold the rallies have an FLO a Finds Locator Officer who works for the state and is a qualified Archeaologist. They report the finds and photograph and map locate and record the finds. From my expereience so far not much has been found that resemble the items in your comments.You really need to go to these meetings and talk to the detectorists and realise they are the same as you. If anything its the nighthawkers and those who do not belong to a club that i have grudge about. I also agree with you when the detectorist sells on ebay to make money. These are not true detectorist and need to be extinguished.
Maybe you could organise a metal detecting day and control its measures.I would join you because i know it would be for the love of history, regards

No – YOU do what scores of thousands of people do to get close to archaeology – join an amateur archaeology group. Get involved properly, for everyone’s benefit, and not for your own.

99% of metal detecting activity takes place without a FLO being present. 66% of it involves not reporting what is found. FLOs attend because they are paid. You will never get one to say metal detecting is a net benefit to society. It would be best if you didn’t kid yourself or try to kid others. Join an archaeology society.

Join an archaeology society and see what the archaeologists contributions to UK finds data base is , and then compare it to recorded finds made whilst
metal detecting,,FLOS and the PAS just cant cope with the amount of finds
being reported, one of our Metal Detecting club members is still on secondment to the PAS after a year because they cant cope, cant wait for the next issue of annual treasure report to see what other contributions Metal Detecting has added to it.

Ummm, point massively missed. Archaeology societies contribute vast amounts of KNOWLEDGE – by carrying out investigations properly. Detectorists don’t. Showing an object and giving dubious and resentful findspot details adds a lot less knowledge than amateur archaeologists – and most detectorists don’t even do that. Pocketing finds when you simply don’t own them … and selling them …. and claiming rewards… I think you might convince your mates those are acceptable, moral, unselfish ways of behaving but no-one else – as they aren’t, as the rest of the world has long agreed.

Peter, a true comment, more and more is found by metal detectortists we need more support to rid of the rogue metal detectorists! and record our finds successfully.
I talked to our FLO…she too recommended me to join an amatuer archaeology group. I liked this idea as i didnt know there were such things ( ie its not made known to the majority) so im looking to join one next year.
‘HERITAGE ACTION’. Action is needed to start working with the metal detecting clubs and stop leaving it to one FLO in each area.
Our metal detecting group are constantly looking for guess speakers to enlighten our knowledge, maybe heritage action could help and correct this missing link, if you wish please contact me. lets start building this bridge!!
Moaning dosent help, ACTION ‘as is your logo’ should be taken, i have many concerns with how rallies are organised, standards are needed to protect what there is being found and recorded.
PAT you are right, but less of the ‘YOU’ many of us are true and just, and wish to do things right..we need help not the big finger.
Come on guys why would i and other metal detectorist view this web site if we didnt want to learn more…putting the metal detectorist down with statistics and down trodding believes is not correcting the problem but it IS keeping our distances!!

Pat, why a short speech for this important and needed subject to be addressed? get over yourselfs and do something positive.
Ethical detecting org is bang on target lets get it enforced to every metal detecting group!
Stop ebay processing the selling of historic objects.
More train FLO’s covering metal detecting clubs
Use the people who have metal detectors for the benefit of the state and history….i, as a metal detectorist would use my detector and my spare time to then give everything i find to the FLO’s. all i would do is take a photo of them and document them myself, do amatuer archeaology groups use metal detectorist this way?
I think my message is clear… lets start doing something..stop this moaning and lets get our heads together and correct this problem. ACTION!!!! heritage ACTION!!
Give me a copy of your lobby and i will take it to our group (hopefully with you) and help to show and tell the metal detecorist how to metal detect responsible and benefically to the state and not themselves … This may help to weed out the ROGUES!
Now put your action where your mouth is!!
Is there anyone in this forum who are willing to help using their own time and money…or are they waiting to get paid!
THIS IS GENUINE!!! contact me

Hi Bruce,
No need to lecture us on “action”, we’ve been trying to change things in the direction you want for ten years in the teeth of opposition from detectorists and the archaeological Establishment!

Before proceeding you ought to know that the Ethical Detecting website has been up for a year and has attracted zero takers so far. It is indeed bang on target but if you suggest it at metal detecting clubs you’ll get a very negative reaction. Indeed, you’ll be called a Judas or an archie lover. So you’ll have to decide, do you want loads of friends or do you want to do it right?! 😉

If the latter, we’d be delighted if you would write an article for us asking for those detectorists who feel like you to join with you and form a truly ethical detecting club – the first. I suggested something like this some years ago in conjunction with some detectorists but it didn’t get off the ground as I am considered the devil incarnate (but only by those that don’t want to act in an ethical fashion!). You might be luckier than we were previously.

Needless to say, even if there were only half a dozen of you to start with you’d be very successful and influential – as every archaeologist would support you and every landowner would be confident about you so a lot of new doors might open. In fact I know they would. Longer term, if other detectorists saw the advantages of doing it right they might join you.

Thanks Nigel, i going to give this a go.
Just to give you heads up, im a member of the armed forces, i have been in 17 years to date. I will be pushing these problems forwards in the new year.
If you have any material that you have used prevousily or any new stuff. Please contact me.
I have ideas already how im going to start this, but i must make sure i get my facts right first (ground work i think!)
However the right way is not to get peoples backs up, straight away there would be no co-operation. Its time to bond the satellite organiztions together.
Do you have anything on Law and Leglisation with metal detecting?
your help in this manner would be gratefully received.

“anything on Law and Leglisation with metal detecting”
Various Acts imply don’t do it without permission, The Ancient Monuments Act says don’t do it on scheduled monuments and the Treasure Act says declare Treasure items. Some byelaws prohibit it and some DEFRA payment schemes discourage it. Other than that you can do it anywhere and smash what you find with a sledge hammer if you want! Not sure there’s much point in going into all that though as all detectorists understand the legal position and most abide by the law. Yet it’s their LEGAL activity that’s the real problem, not illegal detecting.

“the right way is not to get peoples backs up, straight away there would be no co-operation.”
That’s the philosophy on which PAS was set up but sadly a majority still don’t co-operate after 13 years! Compulsory licensing or an Ethical Detecting Club would seem to be the only ways forward. We certainly don’t want to be party to any more “compromises” with people that aren’t prepared to act in society’s interest – many millions of artefacts have gone unreported as a result of that approach.

If you still want to go ahead after hearing what inflexible rotters we are can I suggest you keep any article (or series of them if you’d like) pretty short – and really, I wouldn’t try to “persuade” people to act ethically, most won’t even act in the faux version of ethical – “responsible detecting” so no way will they listen to anything truly ethical. The only realistic approach would be to ask any who are already ethical if they’d like to join a club. There are a few out there.

To summarise our position and for the avoidance of doubt:
“Compromise” with those who are prepared to act in a 25%, 50% or 75% ethical fashion but not a 100% ethical fashion involves a willingness to allow “some” damage. That is the current “official” British policy and it is opposed as unacceptable beyond these shores. We shan’t be running articles calling for compromise. We are very happy to run articles supporting ethical detecting.

I have to say that I have rarely read such a nasty, vitriolic, misinformed load of tripe as this in my 66 yers on planet earth.

Sure, there are bad apples in every field of interest you care to name, from politicians, doctors, so called pillars of society who turn out to be the shiftiest rogues going, and even clergymen, who do their fair share of fornicating, perving and interfering with others lives. The Jimmy Savilles” of this world. Working away in the full spotlight with everyone thinking what great people ‘hail fellow well met types’ they are, only to discover what absolute rubbish they really are once their nasty little stones get overturned. NO?

Most detectorists enjoy their hobby. They don’t interfere with anyone else, and they work under the umbrella of NCMD and FID who ensure that rules are followed. So stop ranting, get your facts straight, and wake up to the fact that without detectorists, over 99% of items found will stay buried forever, and nobody will gain knowledge, history, or, for that matter, learn about the heritage that you are so happy to bleat on about.

Join an archaological group if you feel so strongly about it. I will cover 1000% more ground in 5 minutes than you will do in 5 days…..and I will declare all finds to my club. WE are finding more out about the history of the UK than YOU will ever do sitting on your high horse!

So Get off your high horses. MOST metal detectorists enjoy the hobbyypurely for

“they work under the umbrella of NCMD and FID who ensure that rules are followed.”

That is what farmers are told, but the truth is the codes of conduct of those two bodies are utterly inadequate, neither body can or does ensure even their own utterly inadequate rules are followed and PAS stats demonstrate beyond argument that most detectorists don’t follow the proper rules.

Hi I got invited to a archeologist dig some years ago with a friend we found over 1.500 finds for them over six hundred Roman coins Roman brooches u you name it we found it with our machines must mention the lead coffin we found with a skeleton of a female yes it had grave goods but we weren’t allowed to see them but the site supervisor told his boss we should be allowed to see them I’ll never for get that day beautiful gold necklace and bracelets top that I said to my self lol well I did the dig was at an end one more signal I said to my self yes what a find a complete saxon silver and gold brooch over 4 inches long with pin only the second one ever found in britain thay congratulated me and thay said thay would not have found it cos the job was at an end so us men and women who love our hobbby we do have our uses if that’s not helping our heritage I’ll eat my hat ///////// p.s the guys on site said we turnd there site into one of the best a jobs thay have been on thay even ask us can we recommend a machine so thay can use in there digs thay now have a tresorro rapier we are now part of there team been on several digs since